I’m quite a big fan of Mother Earth News and in most of their recent issues there are always articles on SIPs or Structural Insulated Panels.

I started doing some research on tiny houses using SIPs and found a great site and company who specializes in tiny or small buildings called Little Green Buildings based in Port Angeles, Washington. They are a small company with great customer service. There buildings range in size from 32 square feet to 400 square feet and are quite reasonably priced.

Getaway

Why Use SIPs? Here are a few good reasons.

• Extremely energy efficient.
• Super insulated floors, walls and roof.
• Small heating and air conditioning equipment = much lower utility bills and no more cold feet.
• Because of the core system of rigid foam no mold, no bugs.
• And a great fire rating!
• Stronger, straighter, three times faster to build.
• No vapor barriers to worry about.
• Little or no waste.
• No need for bird blocks or ridge vents.
• Storm and earthquake resistant.
• Snow loads just about anywhere on earth.
• Super quiet. Need a place to shut out the noise of every day life?
• More space. Because the roof itself is insulated “no attic”, more room for loft or storage space.

Here are a few more samples of Little Green Buildings designs:

Chalet

Beachfront Study

River Shack